Category Archives: soup

First, can I just say that there’s really no way to make this soup look pretty.

Moving on..

This is a favorite in our house. Yes, it looks..green..but we love it. We call it ‘leperchaun’ soup. (it’s green..go with me on this) Full of vegetables, this soup will do wonders for your health, tastebuds..it may even bridge communities together. Or not. Either way, you’ll be completely satisified and happy when you’re done chowing this one down. You can make it on the stove if you have more time, or throw it in the crockpot for an easy, fast, I-have-stuff-to-do-today-and-can’t-spend-time-in-the-kitchen kind of meal. I prefer the crockpot version.

The how-to:
*wash peas and drain
*in a pot, saute onions and garlic in about 2 teaspoons of butter or oil
*add peas, carrots, ham and chicken broth.
*cover and let it come to a boil
*add salt and pepper
*once it boils, reduce heat and cook for about 2 hours (beans should be very soft by then)
*Make sure to check the water and consistency often. You may need to add hot water if it becomes too thick.

Crockpot version:
*wash and drain peas
*in pot on stove, saute onions and galic in about 2 teaspoons butter or oil
*place beans, vegetables, chicken broth, and ham in the crockpot
*stir once.
*cover and let cook on low for 6-8 hours
*stir every now and then to break up the peas and combine everything. It will thicken up as it cooks and the more often you stir it. (I usually stir once or twice the first few hours, then not again until about an hour before we eat. Then I stir every 20 minutes or so).

..because I’m the master of thinking of awesome titles for things. 😀 HA!

So..in my little world we are having a very long winter. As in..it’s April..and still snowing. No time for festive Spring salads…no sireee..we’re having soup. Lots and lots of soup! I’m not complaining though, soup is my friend. This soup is a lifesaver soup. Here’s the brief story. I hadn’t gone to the store for awhile and soon discovered that we were getting low on ‘stuff’. (you know, chocolate, chocolate chips, chocolate covered raisins..) but it was also dinner time, which meant no time to run to the store. So, I opened the fridge, looked at what we had, waved my magic wand, and BOOM! “Everything Veggie Soup” was born. Usually, I shy away from these kinds of meals because you just never know what is really in your fridge, but I was desperate, and hungry.

So, what’s in my “Everything Veggie Soup”? I’m sure it’s probably a very basic veggie soup, but here is my take on it:

*in a skillet, cook hamburger and onions until fully cooked through
*in a medium sized pot, cook noodles according to package
*peel, slice and chop carrots and potatoes. Set aside

*in a large pot on the stove, combine all ingredients EXCEPT the tomato paste
*Bring to a boil, let cook until carrots are soft and tender

*Once carrots and potatoes are soft, lower heat to medium. Add can of tomato paste.
*Cook and stir until thickened
*add seasonings to taste (some like it salty, others, not to much)
**When you’re ready to serve and eat, this is when you’ll top it with sour cream and cheese**

The beauty of this soup, is that it’s so versitile. You can leave out the hamburger and replace it with beans instead. You can leave out the potatoes or noodles and replace it with whatever else you like. If you like it a more soupy soup, add more water/beef broth. It really depends on what you like your soups to look and taste like. This is just how I like our soup.